Alameda Corridor Governing Board Names New Chairman and Vice Chairman

JULY 9, 1998

LONG BEACH – Los Angeles city councilman Rudy Svorinich, Jr. was elected the new chairman of the governing board overseeing construction of the Alameda Corridor rail cargo project.

The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) governing board unanimously elected Svorinich to succeed Jeffrey Kellogg, a Long Beach city councilman who served as chairman for the past year.  Svorinich will chair the board’s monthly meetings, sign official documents on behalf of the board and represent the agency.

“I’m delighted to be taking on these responsibilities on a project of such national importance,” said Svorinich, a San Pedro, Calif. native and Harbor-area councilman since 1993.  He was vice chairman during Kellogg’s tenure and served two previous terms as chairman.  “This is an exciting time for ACTA.  The momentum of the project has accelerated with the receipt of proposals for the Mid-Corridor Design-Build Contract, and we are embarking on a ambitious construction schedule for the coming year.”

Elevated to vice chairman was George Murchison, who represents the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on the Governing Board.  A Certified Public Accountant by training, Murchison has served as a Port of Long Beach commissioner since 1995.

The Alameda Corridor is a 20-mile rail expressway linking the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to the transcontinental switching yards just east of downtown Los Angeles.  The project will speed the flow of cargo by eliminating more than 200 grade crossings and ease traffic congestion by enhancing streets along the route.  Construction on the project began one year ago and is scheduled for completion in  2001.

The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority is a joint powers authority overseeing the construction of the $2 billion project.  The governing board includes the following: Svorinich; Murchison; Kellogg; Los Angeles county supervisor Yvonne Burke; Port of Los Angeles commissioner Jonathan Y. Thomas; Port of Long Beach executive director Richard Steinke; and Port of Los Angeles executive director Larry Keller.